Odds falling on casino expansion

Sponsor at odds with state's gambling regulator

Rep. Bob Rita is unhappy with a suggestion that a Chicago gambling provision be removed from state legislation. (E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune)

SPRINGFIELD — — Efforts to expand Illinois casino gambling are losing ground at the Capitol as the plan's new sponsor clashes with Gov. Pat Quinn, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle angles for a piece of the action.

Rep. Robert Rita, who started shepherding the casino bill in the House last week, angrily disputed comments by the governor's hand-picked chief gambling regulator, Aaron Jaffe, who suggested Chicago be taken out of the legislation. Rita suggested a separate vote on a Chicago casino would kill gambling expansion.

"Is this (Jaffe's) comments? Is this the governor? Where did these comments come from," said Rita, D-Blue Island. "I guess I'd like to know where the governor is on this issue and if the intent is Chicago should be out of this bill, he should say that."

The gambling bill includes new casinos for Chicago and four other towns plus slot machines at horse racing tracks. On Tuesday, Jaffe, the Illinois Gaming Board chairman, criticized the bill as trying to do too much.

"It's a Christmas tree bill," Jaffe told The Associated Press. "You have one political party that is in the governor's mansion, controlling the Senate, controlling the House. You're telling me they can't pass one bill that will give the city of Chicago a casino? That blows my mind."

Jaffe, a former state lawmaker and judge, did not return a call to respond to Rita's comments.

Quinn has twice vetoed gambling expansion legislation and has strongly stood by Jaffe amid sharp criticism from pro-gaming lawmakers. The Democratic governor has indicated he might be willing to budge on a casino bill if lawmakers approve comprehensive pension reform.

On Wednesday, Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said the governor is "not advocating" splitting Chicago from the gambling expansion measure and indicated Jaffe "absolutely" was speaking for himself. Anderson also said Quinn supports Gaming Board oversight of casino construction and development in Chicago, which would become the nation's only municipally owned casino.

But Rita said oversight over construction and development of a city casino is an overreach.

"The Illinois Gaming Board still has the right in this bill to approve or disapprove of (a casino) operator. But when you're starting to stretch out to the footprint of it and having total control, you can't have total control over development in the city of Chicago," Rita said.

Rita also joined with other south suburban lawmakers in urging Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Preckwinkle and local officials to discuss Preckwinkle's request that county government get a portion of gambling revenue from new casinos and race track slots in the county.

Rita and Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, said Emanuel previously rejected Preckwinkle's request to share in the local revenue of a Chicago casino and she now was seeking a share of revenue from a proposed south suburban casino.

"That's a deal breaker for us in the south suburbs," Davis said. "The south suburbs cannot shoulder this request alone from the Cook County board president."

Cook County already gets a share of the take from the lucrative Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Preckwinkle spokeswoman Kristen Mack said the county is seeking additional revenue for public safety and health issues.

"We'll work hard to come to an agreement with the city of Chicago, and all parties, to help pass a bill that works for Cook County," Mack said. "If there's going to be a gaming bill in the General Assembly this year, we believe Cook County should be the recipient of a percentage of the revenue from each new venue in the county."

Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton would not say whether the mayor told Preckwinkle no. Hamilton noted that in addition to the Des Plaines casino cash, the county is collecting money from its new tax on gambling positions and that a pair of new Cook casinos would provide a "windfall" for county government.

Pension, gun negotiations

With Friday's adjournment deadline looming, lawmakers and legislative leaders were behind closed doors Wednesday negotiating on two major pieces of unfinished business: an overhaul of government worker pensions and concealed carry of guns.

Senate President John Cullerton plans to meet with fellow Senate Democrats on Thursday, and he met with House Speaker Michael Madigan and Quinn as he looks to "chart a way forward," Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said.

Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, said the House is "waiting to see what the Senate does" on pension changes. The two chambers have passed dueling versions of pension bills and are trying to break a stalemate.

The House and Senate also are gridlocked on a bill to set up rules on who can carry concealed weapons and where they can carry them. The sticking points remain whether the state should pre-empt local gun ordinances such as Chicago's assault weapons ban, and whether guns should be allowed inside restaurants that serve alcohol. The Senate says no to both, wanting a more restrictive bill than the House has offered.

Online voter registration

The Senate sent the House a measure to allow online voter registration statewide and also force Lake County to create a board of elections, a move opposed by the county's Republican lawmakers.

The measure also would allow candidates in contested races to circumvent campaign fundraising limits if a big-spending independent political action committee gets involved.